Building healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke

A record breaking, crowd of over 1000 Long Islanders attended the 14th Annual Long Island Go Red For Women Luncheon on Wednesday, February 11, 2015. The sea of red could be seen throughout all the rooms at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

Those in attendance also heard from 14 year old heart survivor Gianna Schupler, a competitive dancer. Gianna shared her open heart surgery experience and how she recovered to go on to win a national dance competition. Gianna was an inspiration to everyone in the crowd.

“Being a part of this event from start to finish was an amazing experience” said Teresa Evans, Executive Director, Human Resources, CHL Mortgage a division of Freedom Mortgage who chaired this years’ event. Dr. Jean Marie Cacciabaudo, Chief of Cardiology at Southside Hospital and Dr. Stacey Rosen, V.P. Katz Institute For Women’s Health were the Medical Co-Chairs. Leanna Karlson, Co-host of the Morning Show with Steve & Leeana on K98.3 did an amazing job as event emcee.

The American Heart Association’s 14th Annual Go Red For Women Luncheon combined an elegant luncheon reception, record breaking auction and networking opportunities. The Luncheon featured educational breakout sessions presented by recognized and credentialed healthcare professionals, providing women with information, resources and hope to take action and live a longer, stronger life. The 2015 American Heart Association Go Red For Women Luncheon is nationally sponsored by Macy’s. The North Shore-LIJ Health System is the Cities Go Red Sponsor.

For information about the 2016 Go Red For Women Luncheon, sponsorship opportunities, or other questions, call the American Heart Association at (516) 450-9131or visit http://www.heart.org/longisland.

The American Heart Association responded to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State today.

“Creating jobs and improving health could go hand in hand, especially by opening supermarkets in poor neighborhoods,” said Bob Elling, chair of the American Heart Association’s New York State Advocacy Committee, paramedic and paramedic instructor at Hudson Valley Community College. “The American Heart Association is especially interested in seeing healthy food become available to all New Yorkers. Low-income neighborhoods have 50 percent fewer supermarkets than wealthier ones, which means that too many people are eating poorly. With 8.5 million New Yorkers overweight or obese, we need to make healthy food available to everyone. The governor’s anti-poverty initiative in Rochester and the proposed increase in recreation as part of tourism are good health measures. It’s also important that we invest in supermarkets in poor neighborhoods across the state.”

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The American Heart Association is excited to announce that Leeana Karlson, Co-host of the Morning Show with Steve & Leeana on K98.3 every weekday will emcee this year’s Long Island Go Red For Women Luncheon. The Luncheon will be taking place on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at thye crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

Leeana was born and raised on Long Island and has been in radio since 2002 where she began her career as a Night Show producer for WPTY/Party 105.3FM. She quickly excelled and was on-air in no time, co-hosting the station’s Morning Show. Leeana initially went to Suffolk County Community College to study photography, then Stony Brook University to study Italian-American history before getting in to radio.

When Leeana’s not on the air she spends time involving herself in advocating for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also recently volunteered her time, alongside her brother, to form a bowling team for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Leeana’s passion was ignited by the birth of her nephew, who is also her godson, who has a rare genetic disorder. Leeana also enjoys running and ran her first half marathon last year at the Long Island Marathon Weekend.

Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 killers of Long Island women. Most women don’t notice the symptoms of heart disease until it’s too late. That’s why heart disease has been called the silent killer. For information about sponsorship opportunities, ticket or table reservations, or other questions, call the American Heart Association at (516) 450-9131 or visit longislandgoredluncheon.ahaevents.org.

The 2015 American Heart Association Go Red For Women Luncheon is nationally sponsored by Macy’s. The North Shore-LIJ Health System is the Cities Go Red Sponsor.

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Stroke has dropped from the nation’s fourth-leading cause of death to No. 5, according to new federal statistics. It is the second time since 2011 that stroke has dropped a spot in the mortality rankings.

According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, stroke swapped positions with unintentional injuries, which killed 1,579 more people than stroke in 2013.

“The fact that the death rate is declining from this terrible and devastating disease is gratifying news,” said American Heart Association/American Stroke Association President Elliott Antman, M.D., professor of medicine and associate dean for Clinical/Translational Research at Harvard Medical School and a senior physician in the Cardiovascular Division of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Still, far too many people are dying from stroke, and too many people are suffering greatly from this disease.”

The stroke death rate dropped slightly, from 36.9 percent in 2012 to 36.2 percent in 2013. Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death in the nation. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death, followed by chronic lower respiratory diseases.

The decline in stroke deaths may be due in part to improvements in treatment and prevention, said Ralph Sacco, M.D., past president of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and chairman of Neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

“There are more stroke centers now operating in the U.S., and the acute care of stroke is improving,” said Sacco. “However, although mortality from stroke is dropping, we know that the number of people having strokes in the U.S. is rising each year due to the aging of our population and other signs that strokes have increased in younger groups.”

Despite the lower death rate, 432 more people died from stroke in 2013 than in 2012, the report found, which underscores the need for all Americans to learn the sudden signs of stroke and know what to do if a stroke is suspected. The American Stroke Association’s Together to End Stroke initiative, which is nationally sponsored by Covidien, teaches the acronym F.A.S.T. to help. F.A.S.T. is a way to recognize the most common signs of a stroke.

F.A.S.T. stands for:

F – Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

A – Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S – Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?

T – Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

Stroke remains a leading cause of disability in the U.S. In fact, the number of people having strokes – often with painful and debilitating after-effects – remains a major cause of concern.

“Stroke is more disabling than it is fatal,” said Sacco. “Getting medical attention at the first sign of a stroke gives the patient the best chance for recovery.”

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Barbara Poliwoda, Regional Director for the American Heart Association and Long Island resident was awarded the Rome Betts Award of Excellence at a recent American Heart Association meeting.

The Rome Betts Award of Excellence was created in memory of the executive director of the American Heart Association from 1949 to 1968. Mr. Betts became national executive director shortly after the American Heart Association reorganized into a voluntary health association. The American Heart Association greatly expanded its educational, community service and research activities under his leadership. The Rome Betts Award of Excellence recognizes outstanding exempt field or affiliate staff who exemplify consistent high performance in their area of expertise and are recognized for leadership, professionalism and dedication.

“My success comes from the great volunteers I work with every day” says Poliwoda.

Barbara is the Regional Director for the Hamptons Heart Ball, Healing 5k and American Heart Ride. For more information, visit www.heart.org/longisland.

It’s that time of year again. Men and women from across Long Island will be getting all of their red outfits and accessories ready for the American Heart Association’s 14th Annual Long Island Go Red For Women Luncheon. Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 4 killers of Long Island women. For more than a decade, women have been fighting heart disease individually and together as part of the Go Red For Women movement. Cardiovascular diseases cause one in three women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.

Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease & stroke. An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by cardiovascular diseases. When you get involved in supporting Go Red For Women by advocating, fundraising and sharing your story, more lives are saved. The Long Island American Heart Association’s 14th Annual Go Red For Women Luncheon on Thursday, February 11, 2015 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. The 2015 American Heart Association Go Red For Women Luncheon is nationally sponsored by Macy’s. The North Shore-LIJ Health System is the Cities Go Red Sponsor.

The American Heart Association’s 14th Annual Go Red For Women Luncheon combines an elegant luncheon reception, silent auction, networking opportunities and moving Long Island female survivor stories. The Long Island Go Red For Women Luncheon will again feature educational breakout sessions presented by recognized and credentialed healthcare professionals, providing women with information, resources and hope to take action and live a longer, stronger life. This year’s workshops include “It’s Not You, It’s Your Genes! Functional Medicine for the Heart.” Presented by Dr. Regina Druz; “Nutrition Session” Presented by Sotiria Everett, RD from the North Shore-LIJ Health System and “Mindfulness and Other Tools to Manage Stress” Presented by Deb McElligott, NP from the NSLIJ health system.

This year’s Luncheon will honor Howard Stein, Senior Managing Partner of the Real Estate Practice Group, Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP and Deborah K. Richman, President and CEO DKUSA, Ltd. and Community Honoree Premier Cardiology. The honorees are committed to raising support and creating awareness about heart disease and stroke especially, as it pertains to women. Teresa Evans, Executive Director, Human Resources, CHL Mortgage a division of Freedom Mortgage is chair of the luncheon and Dr. Jean Cacciabaudo, Chief of Cardiology at Southside Hospital and Dr. Stacey Rosen, V.P. Katz Institute For Women’s Health are the Medical Co-Chairs. Leanna Karlson, Co-host of the Morning Show with Steve & Leeana on K98.3 will emcee the event.

The American Heart Association Go Red For Women Luncheon is attended by both women and men from business, health, education, local and state government. Local media sponsors include, WBAB, WBLI and Connoisseur Media. Take charge of your cardiovascular health by attending the 2015 Long Island American Heart Association Go Red For Women Luncheon on Thursday, February 11, 2015. For information about sponsorship opportunities, ticket or table reservations, or other questions, call the American Heart Association at (516) 450-9131 or visit longislandgoredluncheon.ahaevents.org.

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When winter blows in, don’t pull the blankets over your head and go back to sleep! Suit up to head out for an outdoor winter adventure! The American Heart Association recommends that everyone get 30 minutes of heart healthy exercise most days of the week—even during winter—to help prevent heart disease, the nation’s number one killer.

According to the American Heart Association, exercising in cooler weather has some distinct advantages over working out in the warmer weather. For one, you don’t have heat and humidity to deal with. In fact, winter’s chill can make you feel awake and invigorated. Not only that, you can work out harder in the cold weather—which means you burn even more calories. Heading outside in the winter is also a great way to take in the sunlight during those shorter winter days. Not only does light dramatically improve many people’s moods, it also helps you get the vitamin D your body needs.

The AHA encourages walking as a primary heart healthy activity since people are more likely to stick with walking than any other exercise. Why walking? It’s efficient. Just 30 minutes of walking a day can improve your circulation, lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, and help you lose weight.

It’s free, simple and convenient. The only thing you need to start is a pair of supportive walking shoes. There’s no equipment required, nothing complicated to learn, and you can do it right where you are. Just step outside. Run errands, walk the dog, take a lunchtime walk, catch up with friends or spend time with your significant other during an evening walk, or bundle up your kids and walk as a family. There are dozens of ways to fit in bursts of walking this season. And it’s customizable. By changing up the time, distance, pace and route, you can create the right walking program for you.

There are dozens of ways to get physical activity inside, too—no gym required. Weights (such as a set of 5-pound and 10-pound dumbbells) are a great addition, but not absolutely necessary.

Adding in an exercise circuit (a cycle of 5–6 moves, run a few times through) is a great way to stave off boredom and get a lot done in a short amount of time. You can create your own mini-circuits at home if you don’t belong to a gym. Ideally, your circuit will include a cardio burst of 1–2 minutes, followed by 3–5 exercises that work various parts of your body.

For example:

Jump rope, jog in place or run your steps (start with 1 minute and progress to 2).

10 pushups (You can modify with knees down if you are having trouble holding a straight body pushup position; remember to keep your palms flat on the floor.)

20 crunches (with feet flat and knees up, legs bent in the air at 90 degrees or straight up, or your favorite variation)

20 hip lifts (flat on your back, arms down on the ground at your sides with fingertips pointing toward feet, feet flat with knees bent at 90 degrees; press feet and shoulders into floor as you lift your hips as high as you can; lift and lower)

30-second plank hold (holding a pushup position; body as a straight line, or with knees down)

10 triceps dips on a chair/couch (Sit on chair with feet flat and knees bent at 90 degrees; hands at sides, palms pressed into the chair with fingertips facing forward; take one large step with right foot, and join left foot beside it. Bend your arms to 90 degrees as you lower and lift; keeps abs tight.) The beauty of exercise circuits is that you can be creative. Mix and match your favorite moves.

Don’t want to walk alone? You can sign up for an American Heart Association Heart Walk at HeartWalk.org or start a walking club at http://www.mywalkingclub.org to start your own official walking club. Make or try a new walking route at StartWalkingNow.org. Above all, appreciate the season. Try a winter activity, such as snow shoeing, cross-country skiing or ice skating with family and friends. Take 30 minutes for your heart this winter!